Dear Mrs. Garnier, dear Mr Retailleau, respectively, chairman of the committee on culture and president of the regional council of the countries of the loire.

You have also been barely more than 2 months to find the famous pretext to the cancellation of a historic partnership, long 10 years, between the region of the countries of the loire, and the festival hellfest, most important festival Of contemporary music in France that I represent.

No Mrs Garnier, you didn't intend to meet me, and this in spite of my requests carried out as soon as your nomination to the region of the country of the loire valley in December 2015. an appointment had indeed been agreed but with your " Assistant " only, proof is of little account that you were really for our event, newly elected best big French Festival and this for the 2th consecutive year. This same appointment just suddenly change and we have received on this day an email informing us finally of your presence in lieu of your assistant. What brings us finally the honor of your presence so sudden? Should there not see a need for you to heal your defence to justify your recent media release?

I read with great interest your latest releases in date. Press releases relayed on your social networks to your 5000 followers. Therefore, I hasten to answer you in the same form but in the eyes of our 300 000 followers. Answers precisely, I would have had to give you if you had the courtesy to contact me before you cast aspersions on an event that has never had the slightest incident to mourn and the majority of whose ligeriens, National Media And services of prefecture has nothing but praise about its organization and its living well together. Because in fact, I have taken note of your "requirement of deprogram the group down" by way of press... Strange way to communicate for a community that is said to be "partner"...

So I'm going to take my turn to use me to give you my vision of the case and this, starting with a reminder of the facts that will highlight your true intentions as to our event. Unlike you, I have no interest to conceal my true intentions, or lie to voters because I'm not man to mandate. Actually the policy disgusts me as a good number of French and only my passion for my profession and my music leads me to write you this reply, that I would have gone well send you.

You received in date of Tuesday, 2 February an e-mail from the collective "Sassy hellfest enough" (collective known to be recognised as being of opponents to our festival) alerting you of a slide that took place in the United States, and Showing an artist (Philip Anselmo), which you didn't know the existence there are still 72 hrs, performing a hitler salute in pronouncing "White power". We like you, and I speak on behalf of the entire community of fans of musics extremes, denounced this unjustifiable speech. However, you omit knowingly to clarify that this man apologized publicly on two occasions, swearing not be anti-Semitic or hatred towards anyone. And to you, we know this person and believe to be responsible and caring enough to justify its place among the artists invited to our festival. He is not here of convenience to unacceptable things as you would hammer, because the festival that I lead is not and never will be a forum for this kind of racist and hateful. This person has committed a serious error that he sincerely regret but it is misleading to skip for someone he is not. I could if you do you want to send a long list of artists who have crossed the line of the provocation under bottom of taken of alcohol and drugs in too large quantities. The Rock 'n' roll has its excesses that only the fans and connoisseurs can understand and forgive... David Bowie in his time, Sid Vicious and so on... Philip Anselmo's I grant you on this one a fool, an artist provocative and sulphur like rock ' n ' roll knows in produce sometimes, but an artist that I would like to defend because convinced that it is not of these individuals to the ideas Nauseating... But admit it, it doesn't interest you, only the pretext to your disengagement towards our event is important in order to please your electorate "conservative". Do I have to remind you that you have always voted against the support (financial and moral) of our event when you were in the opposition regional these last 10 years? To hear you say that since your election, your regional council has never "withdrew its support for the festival and he didn't even agitated the threat" is only an umpteenth political manoeuvre designed to fool the ligeriens on your real intentions.

This festival is a great adventure and human success story that will be allowed to take down number of prejudice on a public all too often, and wrongly, stigmatized and caricatured as being violent, occult or satanist. You probably have to be part of the last people to don't you be seen, it is regrettable and disturbing when we know that the ligeriens you have trusted to carry out a cultural policy diversified in our region of the countries of the loire . A region if dynamic should not rejoice and be proud to see young passionate as we are, that have made such an adventure in rural territory? I have managed to create 15 full-time jobs, 500 csd and intermittent contracts in a cultural sector capricious? Generate more than 5 million euros to the nantes wineries and to be a powerful communication tool from tourist for a territory too underrated? I dare to hope, as a taxpayer loire and vendeen in addition, that my other colleagues and cultural actors will not have to suffer the wrath of your convictions moralising which, in my opinion, are an obstacle to the freedom of cultural creation. Yet it is one of the last pieces of culture, which the French can be proud!

In The course of its history the festival has never politicized, but we are not and never have we been fooled by your intentions. An interview of December 2015 on the chain France 3 will confirm our words. You stated so at the time: " the hellfest? I don't like... "[...]" " do you ever go to hellfest? Not because I don't like ". There is no doubt that you'll have a hard time to convince the many ligeriens that your primary intention was to consolidate a partnership with our event that you perceive as a satanist and violent.

So yes, I'm telling you again: keep your subsidies, we, the lovers of music extremes, have no need to receive moral lessons from politicians who have never taken care of visit, to understand and to consider our festival And allowing him to require a line of conduct. Don't you think that it is up to us to organizers and to the faithful festival-goers participants at the event to decide what is good and what is not for our event for which you don't know anything? Don't you think rather than it is your duty as elected representatives of the worry of real problems that plagued our society rather than you take to a festival and a community of passionate about music, who live for 3 days in Peace and harmony and which almost all the inhabitants of clisson praise the respect, courtesy and kindness?

Madam Garnier, sir retailleau, you're on the wrong track, and I'm the first saddened but your little political tactics will not be able to come cover the reality of the situation: you needed simply find an excuse to justify the judgment of our partnership. Point of concern on our side, we were prepared as soon as your election. Hellfest is, and will remain a festival apolitical, pacifist, independent, organized by the fans for the fans and who will continue to resonate through his music that you judge so evil and "untouchable" a contrario of all persons who have had The chance to come visit him. I put you, moreover, the challenge of finding me would that only one person who attended our festival and can prove that our event is a gathering inciting racial or religious hatred. You will find no, madam / sir elected... Once again you've got the wrong fight. Madam Garnier, I know you are a candidate for the term of office of the city of Nantes, that I carry deep in my heart, city o how many cultural and I'm proud of, I urge you to reconsider your position because I live (and many also nantes ) very badly the nantes to "culture selective".

May our "fire" Grant in aid of cultural associations dynamic, innovative and creators of dreams... And knowing when it is needed, exceed the limits of the politically correct... Born to lose, live to win, long live rock 'n' Roll!

Ben divorces

President of the association hellfest productions

PS: forgiveness and understanding are not that only Christian virtues. Lovers of the hellfest and musics extremes are also people able to discuss and to accept the differences of opinion. The doors of our "Festival of the inferno" you are therefore always open and I am still convinced that our hundreds of thousands of fans would be happy to show you how their event is only love and brotherhood!